Alvin Gentry Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Alvin Gentry Gets Another Interview With Cavs

June 7th, 2014 at 8:55am CST by Cray Allred

Alvin Gentry will interview again with the Cavs, sources tell Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times. The Clippers assistant will meet with Cleveland owner Dan Gilbert (Twitter links). Gentry recently lost out on the Jazz head coaching job, where he was one of four finalists including the eventual hire Quin Snyder. Gentry first interviewed with Cleveland in mid-May.

Gentry might be distancing himself from some of the other candidates including Adrian Griffin, Vinny Del Negro, Lionel Hollins, and Tyronn Lue, among a wider pool of potential names. None of his rumored competitors have been ruled out, but it is possible that reaching this stage to get an in-person sit down with Gilbert could mean Gentry moved beyond a round of cuts, although that’s just my speculation. Gentry has been linked with the Cleveland opening dating back well into last month, and the veteran coach worked with Cavs GM David Griffin when both were with the Suns.

Gentry is also still in the running for the Lakers coaching vacancy, and they recently decided to move in the direction of finding an experienced head coach. That would also bode well for Gentry, who has a 355-370 career record as an NBA head coach.

Jazz Notes: Jones, Vonleh, Favors, Kanter

June 6th, 2014 at 11:12am CST by Zachary Links

Jazz assistant Brad Jones is indeed a candidate for the head coaching position, but he could also be in line for an assistant job on the team’s new staff if they go with Alvin Gentry, Quin Snyder, or Adrian Griffin as the hire, tweets Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune. After having spent the 2012-13 season in charge of player development, Utah promoted Jones to a full fledged assistant in July of last year. Being appointed as head coach would mark a very rapid climb up the organizational ladder for Jones. The latest out of Utah..

A source tells Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link) that the Jazz saw Indiana big man Noah Vonleh workout privately last week in New York.
After attending Utah’s pre-draft workout yesterday, Jones learned (link) that the organization sees Derrick Favors as a center, not as a power forward. Because of that, the Utah front office is confident that Vonleh can come in and play alongside Favors without any trouble (link). Meanwhile, if the Jazz see Favors as a five, that raises some questions about how they view Enes Kanter (link).
Utah State big man Jarred Shaw and Weber State guard/forward Davion Berry are among the 12 players working out for the Jazz this morning, tweets Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune. Neither player is featured on DraftExpress’ Top 100.

Four Favorites Emerge For Jazz Coaching Job

June 5th, 2014 at 3:00pm CST by Cray Allred

3:00pm: Snyder appears to be the front-runner, but the team likes Gentry, Griffin and Snyder, too, Genessy tweets.

THURSDAY, 2:48pm: Jazz assistant Brad Jones is also on the team’s “short list” for its head coaching job, along with Gentry, Griffin and Snyder, Genessy hears (Twitter link). Presumably, Jones is the unknown candidate whom Genessy referred to on Wednesday.

WEDNESDAY, 4:20pm: Gentry, Griffin and Snyder remain the top candidates for the job in the wake of their second interviews, while Boylen is no longer a candidate, reports Jody Genessy of the Salt Lake Tribune. There is an unknown fourth candidate in the mix, too, Genessy says (All Twitter links).

MONDAY, 10:43pm: Clippers associate head coach Alvin Gentry will have a second interview with the Jazz on Tuesday, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.

SATURDAY, 5:18pm: Bulls assistant Adrian Griffin and Hawks assistant Quin Snyder will both interview a second time for the Jazz head coaching vacancy, sources tell Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. Snyder was already believed to be a front-runner for the job, and Griffin now joins him at the front of the pack. A third, unnamed candidate could also still be in the running, sources tell Jones.

Griffin, also linked with the Cavs opening, is gaining steam toward landing his first head coaching gig. Jones adds that the Knicks are now apparently interested in the defensive specialist’s services for their head coaching position. Snyder hasn’t been reported as a candidate for any other NBA teams.

This presumably leaves one or both of Clippers assistant Alvin Gentry and Spurs assistant Jim Boylen out of the running for Utah’s vacancy, depending on whether either represent the unnamed candidate still under consideration. Both Grififin and Snyder are young, up-and-coming coaches, and if the Jazz are narrowing their search to meet that profile, Gentry wouldn’t fit the bill. Boylen is working within the highly successful and respected coaching corps of Gregg Popovich, but there is some antipathy for him in Utah due to his unsuccessful run as head coach at the University of Utah. Other names that have been linked as potential candidates include Jazz assistant Brad Jones and European coach Ettore Messina.

And-Ones: Knicks, Dirk, Pacers

June 3rd, 2014 at 11:11pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Knicks president Phil Jackson is flying to Turkey in mid-June for his son’s wedding and “desperately wants” to have the team’s head coaching search wrapped up before his trip, a source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post. Though Jackson recently admitted a natural interest in coaching the team himself, he conceded that he physically wouldn’t be able to handle it. To further ice the notion that Jackson could return to the sidelines, Berman reports that Jackson will need a second knee replacement in the future.

You can find more of tonight’s miscellaneous news and notes below:

Per Berman, a source within Mark Jackson‘s inner circle says that the former Golden State head coach may be reluctant to coach the Knicks with too heavy an influence coming from the president’s office.
In response to tonight’s report that Dirk Nowitzki will be among the Rockets’ free agent targets this summer, Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW says that the 35-year-old Mavericks forward won’t be leaving Dallas this summer.
Pacers president Larry Bird isn’t looking to make any major shakeups to the current roster; however, he did suggest that the Indiana could look to trade into the first round of this year’s draft as a means of improving the team, according to a report from the Associated Press.
Yesterday, we passed along that Alvin Gentry was scheduled for a second interview with the Jazz today. Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times clarifies that Gentry flew to Utah today and will actually have his second interview tomorrow. Also, sources tell Turner that the Warriors want Gentry to join Steve Kerr‘s coaching staff as an associate head coach (Twitter links).
Free agent Greg Stiemsma would love to return to the Timberwolves, as he tells Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link). That probably won’t happen, since the team will priortize point guards and wing players, according to Wolfson.
Following a pre-draft workout on Sunday, T’wolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders told reporters that he expects Kevin Love to play in Minnesota next season, writes Andy Greder of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
Maccabi Tel Aviv’s David Blatt and former Lakers assistant/current CSKA Moscow head coach Ettore Messina are two international head coaches who warrant consideration for the Lakers’ coaching vacancy, opines Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times.

Quin Snyder Among Front-Runners For Jazz Job

May 30th, 2014 at 2:11pm CST by Chuck Myron

Quin Snyder is a leading candidate for the Jazz’s head coaching vacancy, multiple sources tell Jody Genessy of the Deseret News. Marc Stein of ESPN.com first identified the Hawks assistant as among many in contention for the vacancy last month, but apparently he’s surged close to the head of a shrinking field. The team had planned on interviewing more than 20 candidates, but Snyder is “very high on a short list,” a source tells Genessy, and team president Randy Rigby said on 1280 The Zone that the club is “well into the project” of selecting a coach, Genessy notes.

Adrian Griffin and Alvin Gentry remain in the running for the job, and Jim Boylen, who earlier appeared to be the favorite, is still a possibility, according to Genessy. Utah has interviewed Griffin and Gentry, but it’s unclear if the team’s done so with Snyder and Boylen, or if the club has interviews scheduled with either of them.

Snyder was a candidate for the Sixers, Bobcats and Suns last summer, and was also a candidate for the Bobcats job in 2012, the same summer he was among those in the running for the Magic’s vacancy. The Jazz opening is the only one he appears to be in contention for this time around, but Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak and Kobe Bryant share respect for Snyder, who served as a Lakers assistant coach in 2011/12.

Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey also has ties with Snyder, having worked with him when Lindsey was assistant GM for the Spurs and Snyder was the coach of San Antonio’s D-League affiliate from 2007 to 2010, as Genessy notes. The 47-year-old Snyder also served a season as an assistant for the Sixers and coached under Ettore Messina for CSKA Moscow in Russia. Messina was at one point this spring seemingly a co-favorite with Boylen for the Jazz opening, but Genessy doesn’t mention him among the shrunken field of candidates.

Jazz, Cavs Plan Interviews With Gentry, Griffin

May 26th, 2014 at 5:20pm CST by Chuck Myron

MONDAY, 5:20pm: The Cavaliers have scheduled an interview with Adrian Griffin for Tuesday, reports Bob Finnan of The Morning Journal (hat tip to Sam Amick of USA Today). GM David Griffin will also be meeting with Vinny Del Negro, Lionel Hollins, Gentry, and Tyronn Lue later this week, the article notes.

SUNDAY, 9:40am: Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports that Gentry had interviewed with the Cavaliers and the Jazz earlier this month for their vacant head coaching positions.

THURSDAY, 7:41am: The Cavs have asked the Clippers for permission to interview Gentry, the Plain Dealer reports (Twitter link). I’d be surprised if it wasn’t granted, since it appears as though L.A. gave Utah the green light.

WEDNESDAY, 4:37pm: The Jazz are expected to interview Clippers assistant Alvin Gentry for their head coaching vacancy, sources tell Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. The Cavs have made contact with Gentry, too, but they haven’t arranged for an interview, according to Spears. Utah has completed an interview with Bulls assistant Adrian Griffin after receiving permission from Chicago to speak with him last week, Spears adds.

Gentry hadn’t been among the candidates formally linked to Utah, which is planning an extensive search and more than 20 interviews. Lionel Hollins, John Stockton, Jim Boylen, Ettore Messina, Brad Jones and Quin Snyder are other names in the mix. The Jazz are reportedly unlikely to hire someone with NBA head coaching experience, which perhaps makes Gentry a darkhorse, given that he spent parts of 12 seasons as an NBA head coach with the Heat, Pistons, Clippers and Suns.

The Cavs appear to have Gentry high on their list, and he worked with Cavs GM David Griffin in Phoenix, as Spears points out. The Warriors and Kings have interest in Gentry as an assistant coach, according to Spears, who notes that Gentry remains under contract with the Clippers.

Lakers To Interview Alvin Gentry

May 26th, 2014 at 11:17am CST by Chuck Myron

Clippers assistant Alvin Gentry spoke to Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak by phone Friday, and he’ll sit down with Kupchak and co-owner Jim Buss on Wednesday to interview for the head coaching job, reports Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. A weekend report from Marc Stein of ESPN.com indicated that Gentry had already interviewed with the Cavs and Jazz, and Gentry will take another meeting with the Cavs this coming Friday, Turner adds. Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com first identified Gentry as having been on the initial list that the Lakers compiled in the wake of Mike D’Antoni‘s resignation.

Mike Dunleavy and Byron Scott have already interviewed for the Lakers job, while an interview with Lionel Hollins is also on the team’s agenda this week. Scott is the only one of the four who isn’t also being sought by other teams. Dunleavy met with Knicks president Phil Jackson about the coaching job in New York, while Hollins has spoken with the Wolves and appears to have an interview with the Cavs on tap, too. He was set to speak with the Warriors before they landed Steve Kerr, and it seemed there was an outside chance he would wind up in his old job with the Grizzlies before they patched up their differences with Dave Joerger.

All four Lakers interviewees are experienced NBA head coaches. Gentry is 335-370 in parts of a dozen seasons in the league, the last of which was 2012/13, when the Suns cut ties with him after 41 games. He’s only coached a team to the playoffs on two occasions, including 2010, when the Lakers eliminated his Suns in the Western Conference Finals. Still, the Lakers are high on his ability to orchestrate an offense, Turner hears.

Western Notes: Van Gundy, Jazz, Blazers

May 25th, 2014 at 10:56am CST by Eddie Scarito

The Grizzlies might have interest in hiring Jeff Van Gundy to be their coach and head of basketball operations in a deal similar to the one that Stan Van Gundy received from the Pistons, writes Marc Stein of ESPN.com. This would be in the event that current coach Dave Joerger takes the Timberwolves coaching position, an occurrence that Stein’s sources classify as an “inevitability.” The article also notes that team owner Robert Pera doesn’t want Joerger back no matter what happens with Minnesota.

Tyronn Lue To Interview With Cavaliers

May 24th, 2014 at 7:21pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Tyronn Lue is scheduled to interview for the Cavaliers vacant head coaching position late next week, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Lue is currently an assistant with the Clippers, and was also on Doc Rivers‘ staff when the coach was with the Celtics. Lue, 37, played 10 seasons in the NBA, and won two championships while with the Lakers, and is regarded as one of the league’s most well-respected young head-coaching prospects, according to the article.

The Cavs had been examining the college ranks for their next coach, and are now searching through the NBA’s assistant coaching ranks, writes Wojnarowski. The job may have a stronger appeal now that the team has secured the top pick in the NBA Draft for the third time in the last four seasons.

Another member of the Clippers’ coaching staff, Alvin Gentry, is also a candidate for the Cavaliers job. Gentry has a strong relationship with Cavs GM David Griffin extending back to their days together with the Suns, notes Wojnarowski.

Coaching Rumors: Scott, Gentry, Grizzlies

May 24th, 2014 at 8:42am CST by Cray Allred

Chip Scoggins of The Star Tribune thinks Dave Joerger, who is interviewing to leave the Grizzlies and become the Wolves head coach, could bring the defensive focus and toughness Minnesota has lacked. Scogging also opines that Wolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders could find an outlet for his lingering coaching energy by grooming a young coach like Joerger. Here’s more from the coaching movement around the league:

Byron Scott said he thinks he’s the perfect guy for the Lakers job in an interview with ESPNLA 710 Radio (transcription via Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com). Scott invoked his relationships with Kobe Bryant and Dr. Jerry Buss to bolster his case. “It’s all about winning championships,” said Scott. “And [winning for Buss]…he was the first one to call me and tell me, ‘When you come to L.A., let me know so we can hang out and watch a game together,’ and things like that. Those two reasons alone is one big reason why I want the job so badly.”
Scott also laid out what his first steps would be on the job, including getting on the same page with Bryant and emphasizing defense. “I think that’s the first thing [we’ve got] to get better at, the defensive part of basketball,” Scott said. In Scott’s most recent coaching stint in Cleveland, the Cavs never ranked better than 26th in defensive efficiency.
Alvin Gentry is coveted by both Steve Kerr and Mike Malone as an assistant for their Warriors and Kings benches, tweets David Aldridge of NBA.com. The former head coach is currently an assistant with the Clippers, and is a head coaching candidate for the Cavs, Grizzlies, and Jazz.
Ken Berger of CBSSports.com thinks that bringing Lionel Hollins back to coach the Grizzlies makes a lot of sense, considering the main difference between the team now and when he guided it to the Western Conference Finals is that the front office members that fired him are gone.